


New Finds and Old Dreams

by bestliars



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Edmonton Oilers, Houston Aeros, M/M, Minnesota Wild, Oklahoma City Barons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-18
Updated: 2013-10-18
Packaged: 2017-12-29 18:06:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1008420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bestliars/pseuds/bestliars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan doesn’t want to be playing in the AHL, but since he is, he guesses that it is pretty neat to reconnect with someone he used to play with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Finds and Old Dreams

**Author's Note:**

  * For [duckgirlie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/duckgirlie/gifts).



> Written for duckgirlie for the Grinding It Out In The Corner rarepair meme. I am the slowest of slow when it comes to finishing things. Thanks for prompting such a dreamy pairing.
> 
> Apparently I still have a lot of emotions about the Aeros/Barons games that happened during the lockout? These feelings bled all over this story, sorry. But god, they were really crazy.
> 
> Thanks to Stellarer for betaing this. The title is from the song “Year of the Glad” by Marnie Stern.

Ryan’s sixth AHL game is against the Houston Aeros. Before that he played the Lake Erie Monsters four times, and the San Antonio Rampage once. He doesn’t know a whole lot about the American League yet, just what the coaching staff tells him, plus whatever names he might recognize from Juniors. For example, Darcy Kuemper: he plays with the Aeros now, but he played in Red Deer with Ryan.

Ryan’s looking forward to playing against Darcy. Being in the AHL kind of sucks, but there are some upsides, like the weather, and getting to catch up with old teammates. Darcy was always _cool_. Kind of. Maybe not cool in the traditional sense, but he was a little bit older, and he kind of had his shit together. He knew what he was doing in the crease, but he didn’t let it make him crazy, which was impressive for a teenage goaltender. Plus he was a pretty good kisser.

The first meeting between the Barons and the Aeros is at home. Ryan gets a point on the power play early in the first. The Aeros’ starting goalie gets pulled after letting three goals in on only five shots. After that Darcy’s in net, and he’s solid. Arco manages to score again, but the Aeros put in six. Things get messy in the third when two fights break out at once, with Byers and the Aeros Captain getting thrown out. By this point Ryan has basically accepted that they probably aren’t going to win, but he has to keep trying. He thinks back to practice in Red Deer when he was shooting on Darcy regularly, hoping he can remember a weakness to exploit now. All he can dredge up are things he used to do to make Darcy smile, which admittedly wasn’t that hard to do, but somehow still felt rewarding. Darcy smiled for good jokes, mediocre jokes, and bad jokes told with spirit. He smiled at trick shots that didn’t work, and sometimes trick shots that got past him if they were especially tricky. It would help to remember one of those moves right now, but Ryan comes up blank.

The Barons lose, and while hopefully this won’t be Ryan’s team for long, it’s his team now, and he’d rather win. Losing isn’t fun, it’s just familiar.

The Aeros have a game the next night in Milwaukee, so they’re on the sleeping on bus, leaving right away. There isn’t any time to hang out, but Ryan catches Darcy by the visitor’s locker room before he leaves.

Ryan lets himself get pulled in for a bro hug. He hadn’t forgotten how tall Darcy is, but knowing Darcy is four inches taller than him is different than getting hugged by an enthusiastic six-foot-five hockey player.

It’s nice though, getting thumped on the back and moved around.

Darcy pulls away to smile at him, and say “Hey buddy, it’s been too long.”

Ryan nods, and says, “You were good tonight.”

“Thanks! You too!” Darcy hasn’t stopped smiling. “We’re playing back to backs against you next week, we’ll catch up for real then, yeah?”

“Totally,” Ryan agrees. He’s looking forward to it.

“Awesome,” Darcy says. Then he gets hurried away by his teammates, one of the defensemen pulling him over to where the other goalie is standing and glaring. Goalies are kind of crazy, Ryan learned that ages ago, but Darcy’s always been an exception. He’s weird, sure, but not intensely so, and always pleasant.

Last year Ryan didn’t have a lot of time to think about the things he missed from Juniors. He was too busy, distracted by the show. This year it’s different, with a slower pace in the AHL, and less to adjust to in his second year pro. Juniors seems like a long time ago, and Ryan can’t conjure it clearly enough to say everything he might miss, but he’s pretty sure that hanging out with Darcy would be somewhere on the list.

Ryan has taken to following what’s happening throughout the AHL. He might as well keep up with the league as long as he’s stuck in it. He sees that Darcy gets a shutout against the Admirals the night after their game. Ryan sends a texts to congratulate him.

Darcy texts him back, first _thanks!_ , then a series of weird emoji as the night wears on.

They keep texting back and forth. Ryan can’t tell if this makes the dull week of practices go faster or not, but it’s fun. By the time the Aeros get back to OKC for the game on Friday night Ryan is really looking forward to hanging out with him.

He isn’t playing; they’ve got three games in three days, and coach only wants him and Taylor and Jordan to play two each. It kind of sucks — Ryan doesn’t want any special treatment, he wants to be one of the team — but he isn’t actually complaining about not playing a three in three. He remembers that from Juniors, and it sucked.

It means he has a really great view of everything that happens.

Darcy is starting. Ryan really wishes that he were out there, that he had a chance to score on his friend.

It’s Taylor’s first game in the AHL. His shoulder is all healed up, he’s cleared to play, and he’s so excited, on edge, about to vibrate out of his skin. He’s good too, scoring just thirty-eight seconds in.

Pretty early one of the Aeros’ top line guys leaves with a leg injury. It isn’t the result of anything out of order, just an unfortunate fall, or at least that’s all Ryan sees, but it sets things on edge.

So things are already tense in the third when Taylor rams into Brodin, one of the Aeros defensemen, pretty badly. Ryan can’t tell if it’s a clean hit or not. It looks like it was shoulder to shoulder, but he isn’t sure. Whatever it was, it sure wasn’t a good thing to do. Taylor gets thrown out of the game for making contact to the head, and even from up here Ryan can see how pissed he is.

They still win. Even if it was a bit of a shitshow, at least they won. Ryan can appreciate that.

After the game he gets a text from Darcy. _probably shouldn’t go out tonight_

 _yeah_ Ryan texts back. He’s probably going to go home with Hallsy and Ebs and make sure everything’s alright. Darcy probably wants to do the same thing with his own team, taking stock of the game’s casualties and regrouping for tomorrow.

_sucks though. I was looking forward to it. but next time right?_

The Barons will be in Houston at the end of the month, unless the lockout’s over by then, but Ryan isn’t holding his breath.

_totally. should be fun._

Saturday’s game is a lot less eventful. Taylor isn’t playing. The plan was always that Taylor wouldn’t play two games in a row to kick off his return. That it keeps him away from any Aeros who might be looking for blood is just a bonus. Even with Taylor absence it might be a bit rougher than normal, but really they’re all more interested in points than revenge. There’s a fight in the first—there had to be a fight—but it’s still a just a hockey game, not a grudge match. Ryan gets called for boarding, which he’ll admit is a bit unusual. He also gets a goal and an assist, which he’s proud of. Maggie says something to Hackett which makes the Aeros goalie slash him. Ebs scores on the following power play, which is where Ryan picks up his assist.

Regulation closes tied at three. Overtime doesn’t solve it, and they wind up in a shootout. Ryan’s attempt doesn’t make it in, but every shooter on his team gets held off, so he doesn’t feel too bad. He doesn’t have time to dwell on it.

They’re playing again in San Antonio in less than twenty-four hours, so it’s straight to the bus after the game. They’re kind of crap the next night, getting shut out two-nothing. Ryan is tired enough that he isn’t upset about losing, he just wants to go home and sleep in a real bed.

There’s most of a month before they meet the Aeros again. In that time the Barons win more than they lose. They head up to Abbotsford and play in front of a bunch of Oilers fans, which is a treat. Ryan has a lot going on to keep himself occupied, but he’s still looking forward to seeing Darcy before too long.

It’s another set of back to backs, on a Thursday and Friday in Houston. The first game is pretty uneventful. Taylor psychs himself up beforehand, expecting some payback, but it doesn’t come. Taylor might have a target on his back, but it’s the same one Ryan has, because he’s an NHL player and a scoring threat. Any bad feelings the Aeros might have over the hit on Brodin are put aside to play hockey.

All the scoring happens in the first. It’s a one-one game at the end of overtime, which pushes them into a shootout. Darcy isn’t playing. It’s the Aeros’ other goalie, Hackett, who has been excellent recently. Ryan is the Baron’s third shooter, and he doesn’t score. It takes six rounds, but the Aeros win.

It’s a close game without any real bad blood. Well, Byers got a misconduct halfway through the third. But there isn’t really anything that will make going out with Darcy awkward.

Still, Ryan is going to leave Hallsy and Ebs behind, because he doesn’t think Taylor Hall is anyone’s favorite person. They can hang out at the hotel, do whatever they might want to do alone in a room with a bed, Ryan doesn’t need to know. But he drags Justin out with him. He knows Darcy, and is sure that whoever Darcy brings will be cool, but Ryan still wants a teammate along for the trip as a security blanket.

Ryan doesn’t really buy into the idea that the Aeros are _the enemy_ in a way which would make Houston enemy territory. He might think twice about going out in Calgary after a win, but this is the AHL, and they’re in Texas. No one’s gonna care what team he plays for. No one’s gonna care that he’s a hockey player.

Ryan is underage in America, but whatever. He isn’t really interested in drinking, he’s just wants to catch up. Someone hands him a beer, which he drinks real slow. They have another game the next night, no one is going to do anything wild. They’re just hanging out. They’ve all been talking for a while when Darcy knocks against Ryan’s shoulder, and asks “Wanna get some air?”

Ryan nods and gets to his feet. He still isn’t over the Southern weather. It’s the end of November; in Edmonton they wouldn’t want to spend any time outside after the sun went down, so he’s going to take advantage of the heat in Houston while he can. Darcy leads them out to an empty patio. Ryan stares up at the streetlights. It’s a nice night, even if he can’t see the stars.

He’s standing there doing nothing when Darcy takes a step closer. Ryan takes a step back, not because he wants to be further away, but because that’s his default action to someone coming closer. He didn’t mind that Darcy was in his space though, far from it really. He’s trying to figure out how to say that, but it doesn’t matter, because Darcy steps forward again, and this time Ryan stays still, and now there’s less than a foot between them. This close Ryan really has to look up to make eye contact, and he’s struck again by how tall Darcy still is.

“You having a good time?” Darcy asks. “My teammates aren’t being pests?”

“No, they seem nice.”

“Ah, well, just give it some time, you’ll change your mind.”

“Maybe.” Ryan doesn’t know.

“Don’t get me wrong, they’re great, but given enough time any teammate will get annoying eventually.”

Darcy may have a point there, but Ryan isn’t going to say that, there’s something more interesting and just as true he could say. “When we were teammates you never bugged me. I thought you were great.”

“Yeah, I liked you a lot too,” Darcy says. He’s still standing real close, even closer than before. Ryan didn’t notice him moving, but he wasn’t paying attention. “So, I was thinking — We could go back in there, and Hack’ll be weird about stuff, and Scandy will be weird about Hack, and your Schultz will continue to have excellent manners. Or we could ditch them and go back to my place?”

The way Darcy says his place is obviously an invitation for something more than just catching up someplace quieter.

They are so totally ditching everyone and going back to Darcy’s. Absolutely.

But still, Ryan is responsible. He goes back inside to tell Schultzy that he’s leaving, and that he’s going to crash at Darcy’s because they have more old times to talk about. Justin seems a little bit sceptical, but he doesn’t ask any questions, and says he can find his own way back to the hotel, so that’s all good.

Darcy says something to Hackett, presumably making sure his roommate won’t be back for a while.

Darcy drives. Ryan tries to focus on the unfamiliar city streets they’re on, hoping to use Houston’s architecture as a temporary distraction from the anticipation building in his gut.

Darcy parks. Ryan follows him into the bland but nice enough building, into the elevator, down the hall, through the door.

Darcy closes the door behind them. They stand in the entryway for a minute, both uncertain of what comes next. Darcy gets over his indecision first, making a move to bring get his arms around Ryan, and then all Ryan has to do is kiss back.

They make out against the wall at Darcy’s apartment. Ryan isn’t used to having to reach up to kiss. It isn’t a new experience, but it doesn’t happen often, and it hasn’t happened recently. Ryan has to stretch to make it work, and the effort leaves him pleasantly breathless. After a minute they settle on their flat feet, still touching.

“You’ve gotten a lot better at this than when we were in Red Deer,” Darcy says.

“Well, obviously. I was seventeen.”

“You were more than decent for a seventeen year old.”

That’s flattering, but Ryan doesn’t know if it was true. He didn’t make out with seventeen year olds when he was seventeen, or when he was sixteen, or fifteen, or really ever, unless maybe it happened one night with a girl at a party. There were some girls he made out with at parties whose ages he didn’t know. Not a lot of girls, but a couple. Most of those nights happened when Ryan was seventeen or eighteen, back when he went to high school parties and hadn’t really known how to drink. When he was seventeen Ryan mostly wanted to play hockey and think about boys who he mostly didn’t have the nerve to make out with, except for Darcy sometimes. Darcy was cool, he made it easy. He’ll take Darcy’s word that he was good at kissing for a seventeen year old. He’s pretty sure it was meant as a compliment. “Well, thanks I guess.”

“You were a cute seventeen year old.”

“You wouldn’t really do anything with me, just make out.” It wasn’t fair.

“You were just a kid.”

Ryan still doesn’t like that word. “And you were such a tease,” He complains.

Darcy smirks. “Maybe then, but not any more.”

“Really?” Ryan asks, raising his eyebrows.

“Really. What do you want? Do you want me to blow you?”

Ryan swallows. “What do you want?”

“I think I want to blow you. That sounds pretty good. That’s why I suggested it. If it sounds good to you.”

“Yeah.” Ryan feels like he’s blushing. He wishes he wasn’t so pale. He’s glad that they haven’t really turned the lights on yet, the apartment is only illuminated by the streetlights from the windows and a lamp that had been left on in another room. “You should. Yeah. That sounds good.”

“Great.” Darcy smiles. “We should go to my room.” Ryan lets Darcy take his hand and lead him further in. Ryan follows eagerly.

They kiss against the door, and then fall into bed. It’s a nice bed, big enough for all of their limbs. It’s nothing like the extra-long twins they sometimes wound up making out on in Red Deer. They get to have beds like this in their life because they’re grown up now, which is a lot of pressure. But with beds like this it’s worth it.

Ryan thinks that it could be awkward, that he could make this awkward, but Darcy smiles a lot and doesn’t let it get weird.

Or maybe it’s maybe a bit awkward, because they’re both gawky with pointy elbows, and they don’t entirely know how to move around each other. But they like each other enough that that they can laugh instead of being uncomfortable.

It’s not, like, mind blowing sex, but it’s good. Darcy blows him, which has been in Ryan’s rotation of jerk off fantasies for years. That’s a lot to live up to, but Ryan’s pretty satisfied. It’s only fair to return the favor.

Afterwards they both go to sleep in Darcy’s big bed. Ryan drifts off warmed by the feel of Darcy’s body curled around his back.

The alarm on Ryan’s phone goes off far too soon. He has to haul himself out of bed and back to the hotel before the team leaves for morning skate. Darcy probably could have stolen another hour of sleep, but he won’t hear of Ryan calling a cab. He drives Ryan back, stopping for coffee on the way.

“We’ll have to do this again, yeah?” Darcy says.

Ryan smiles, and maybe blushes, looking down at the paper cup in his hand. “Yeah, totally.”

He looks up and Darcy is grinning at him. “I’m really glad our paths crossed again.”

Darcy pulls him in for an awkward hug, which ends with a sloppy kiss pressed to the side of the mouth which is great enough that Ryan knows he has to leave the car or he’ll start making dumb choices.

He heads upstairs to change clothes and have another cup of coffee with Schultzy, feeling satisfied with his life.

Morning skate goes well, then there’s lunch. An afternoon nap, then team dinner. The day is all routine, then it’s time to go back on the ice.

The tension that had been barely restrained the night before erupts all over this game. Five minutes in Taylor gets called for cross-checking, and Ryan himself gets two minutes for roughing. He’ll admit it’s a bit out of character, but it’s hockey and McIntyre was in his face. Sometimes the thing to do is rough the other guy up and hope your team’s penalty kill can handle what happens next.

The Aeros don’t convert on the power play, but they do score first. After that things go off the rails. A couple of fights. Tubes gets a game misconduct for a starting the second. Hackett gets a tripping penalty. It’s easy to call a game undisciplined when even the goalie gets into the action. Ebs gets two minutes for slashing. Ebs. He doesn’t do things like this, he was one of last year’s Lady Byng nominees. It’s a weird night.

To make it worse, they lose. 4-3, which isn’t an embarrassment, but still sucks.

Neither team has a game the next day, but that wasn’t the type of game where it’s cool to go out with the opposition. Ryan hangs out with his team. They aren’t leaving until the morning, and don’t have a game until next week, so he lets Maggie get him drunk.

He’s a bit out of it on the bus the next day, staring out the window, trying not to let the noon sun get to him.

He gets a text from Darcy. _ __that was nice._ _ _

___yeah_ _ _

___next time we play each other we should “catch up” some more ; )_ __ The airquotes make Ryan smile. Darcy is too lazy to use capital letters, but doesn’t seem to mind working to make innuendo.

___totally_ _ _

___nothing on the schedule til december. you might be gone in the nhl/world jr by then_ _ _

___lame_ _ _

___be excited! i’ll still be here stopping pucks/hack from snapping at anyone_ _ _

___sounds like a lot of work_ _ _

___it is!_ _ _

Ryan takes his eyes off his phone to look at the landscape. The drive from Houston to Oklahoma City isn’t that interesting. He doesn’t even know what he’s doing, riding a bus through the Southern United States. This wasn’t really what he signed up for.

His phone buzzes again: a new text from Darcy. The lockout does have some benefits.

___but rlly, we should keep in touch more bc i think youre cool. keeping more friends is good. buddies???_ _ _

___you’re cool too (except for how you’re not). buddies for sure._ _ _

Buddies, whatever that means. Ryan doesn’t know. Maybe he’ll find out in December, the next time their teams meet. Ryan bets there will be a fight. Ryan hopes they have a chance to get some time alone. He hopes they get to make out and mess around. He wouldn’t mind getting used to leaning up to kiss. Or maybe he’ll spend December in Ufa, or in Edmonton. The future is hazy, it could go about a thousand different ways. Of all the different things he could do in December, making out with Darcy is somewhere in the top ten. If it doesn’t happen, that’s fine too. It’s good to have friends, both the kind you make out with, and the kind you send dumb text messages to. Ryan doesn’t need to overthink this. He can just be happy about what happened, and hope it happens again, and maybe jerk off to the memory instead of the fantasy.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really sorry that this isn't the story about the drunken party in Red Deer, but I think someone else will have to write that.


End file.
